Finally stopped using borax as flux and it changed everything

I've been fighting with forge welds for about 8 months now, using borax like everybody told me to. But I kept getting cold shuts and inclusions no matter how hot I got the steel or how clean I thought the surfaces were. Last Thursday I picked up a bag of anhydrous borax from a pottery supply shop in town for 12 bucks. That stuff flows like water at welding heat and burns off way cleaner than the regular stuff from the grocery store. My first billet came out solid with almost no scale trapped in the layers. Has anyone else made the switch to anhydrous or am I late to the party on this?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily575h ago

I brushed off anhydrous borax for a long time, figured the grocery store stuff was good enough. Then I watched a buddy's billet come out flawless while mine was full of crap, so I tried it. The way it melts down fast and doesn't leave that crusty mess is a game changer. My last few welds have been way cleaner with almost no cold shuts.

aaron_perry4h ago

@lily57 how long did it take you to dial in the heat with that stuff?